Happy X-MAS to all our followers! Here is a track on the polygram subsidiary label Tsavo. For those of you who are familiar with the name your reference might be the Kenya national parks; Tsavo east and west. Although the name has a more dreadful meaning in Kikamba, check the facts on Wikipedia. This Lingala track from Orchester Sombo Sombo is all about joy and has all the right ingredients for a party number. A great guitar lick, dirty horns and cool vocals! Enjoy! See you in 2012! [audio:http://afroseven.net/songs/Orch-Sombo-sombo-sombo-sombo.mp3]

2 thoughts on “Orch Sombo Sombo Sombo Sombo Tsavo”

First thanks for the great music. Regarding the Tsavo Records label, it was owned by Justus Kasoya who was a producer for Polygram. Notice that the Post Box on the label is in Kitui (Ukambani). As for the meaning of Tsavo, I’ve seen it written in a couple of places including the Wikipedia article referenced that Tsavo means “a place of slaughter” in Kamba. My wife is Kamba and says the word Tsavo has no meaning in Kamba and isn’t a Kamba word or name. I wonder how this meaning became attached to the name Tsavo.(???)

To my knowledge, the name Tsavo became synonymous with “slaughter” after the two man-eating lions that tormented railway workers constructing a bridge in 1898-1899. The ‘Tsavo Lions’ get their name from the Tsavo river for which the bridge was being built.